Owners and occupiers of modern residential and commercial premises have come to expect to have available infrastructure to allow use of a variety of communications and media devices. This includes access to, for example, entertainment, office equipment, lighting, security, climate control and automation technologies. This typically requires connection of the premises to multiple outside service providers and entails the use of many devices to access such services.
In most premises, on-site infrastructure has been added thereto incrementally so as to accommodate use of related devices and technology based on advances in user needs and the technology itself. More aged properties were not designed or built bearing in mind the rapid advances in communications and media technology of the past several years. This results in inefficiencies in terms of placement, integration and operation of communications and media devices and related infrastructure (which includes, for example, wiring, modems, receiver boxes, control panels). These inefficiencies manifest themselves through obtrusive and unsightly placement of wiring, redundancy or lack of conveniently located outlets for attachment of wired devices and related hardware. This can result in under served users or inefficient use of resources such as electricity, through running more devices than needed to accomplish certain goals.
As systems have been installed in a piece meal manner, difficulties arise in securing service or maintenance thereof. Multiple providers may need to be engaged, heightening costs and increasing the time needed for maintenance or repairs. This can result in costly downtime in business applications and/or inconvenience in residential applications.
Even properties designed and constructed more recently have not been provided in a manner so as to alleviate these inefficiencies. This is particularly problematic in smaller commercial or residential properties (e.g., condominiums) where space is precious and post-construction alterations are quite onerous if not entirely impractical.
During the construction and installation process, there is a need to increase consistency between systems installed in multiple units within developments of residential or commercial properties (e.g., sub-divisions, hotels, conference centers, multi-unit dwellings, condominiums or other developments) so as to heighten benefits vis-à-vis efficiency of construction, maintenance and support of installed systems.
Further, as communications and other technology has advanced, consumers will often use multiple different service providers for their internet, security, television, climate control and other services. Related disparities in systems lead to duplications of hardware and exacerbate the problems discussed above.
There is a need to provide systems and methods for efficiently and effectively providing access to communications and entertainment devices, as well as placement of related infrastructure within premises in an unobtrusive manner. There is also a need to provide such systems and methods in a manner that facilitates efficient installation, support and repair in both commercial scale environments and for more cost sensitive individual users. Further, since technological advances can be expected to continue, there is also need to provide such systems and methods with capability for expansion or adaptation to changing and advancing technology.